1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the detection of viruses in computer files and more particularly to the detection and treatment of viruses using network resources, the iterative detection and treatment of viruses, and the maintenance of computer networks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer viruses continue to be problematic to computers and computer users. Such viruses are typically found within computer programs, files, or code and can produce unintended and sometimes damaging results. One type of virus is a portion of program code that produces copies of itself in other programs, allows the programs to perform their regular operations, and surreptitiously performs other, unintended actions. Other types of viruses include, without limitation, the following: worms, logic bombs, time bombs, trojan horses, and any malicious program or code residing in executable programs, macros, applets, or elsewhere. While advances have been made in the detection of viruses, the proliferation of computers and the increasing interconnection of, and communication between, computers have also increased the opportunities for the spread of existing viruses and the development of new computer viruses. Thus, the number and type of viruses to which a computer or computer system is potentially exposed is ever changing. This is one reason that the information used to detect viruses requires seemingly constant revision and augmentation in order to detect the various strains of viruses.
There are various methods for detecting viruses. One method of detection is to compare known virus signatures to targeted files to determine whether the targeted files include a virus signature and, thus, the corresponding virus. The comparison data used for virus detection might include a set of such known virus signatures and, possibly, additional data for virus detection. Typically, the comparison data is maintained in a computer storage medium for access and use in the detection of viruses. For example, for a personal computer the comparison data might be stored on the computer's hard disk. Periodically, comparison data updates are provided to detect new or different forms of viruses. The comparison data updates are typically provided on some source storage medium for transfer to the storage medium used to maintain the comparison data. For example, an update might be provided on a floppy disk so that a personal computer user can transfer the comparison data update from the floppy disk to the computer hard disk to complete the update.
The comparison data is essentially discrete and static. That is, all of the information used for the detection of viruses generally remains constant unless it is updated or altered by the user or other relevant party or action. This can be problematic because the quality of information used to detect viruses is reliant upon some form of comparison data maintenance. Another problem with updatable comparison data is that the comparison data can quickly lose its efficacy due to the existence of new and different viruses. Thus, while a periodic update might seem effective, there is no telling how many new and different viruses could be produced in the interim. Still another problem with comparison data updates is that a transfer of an entire replacement set of data, or at least a transfer of all the new virus detection data, is typically undertaken in order to complete the update. Whether an entire replacement or all of the new virus detection data is involved, a significant amount of data must be transferred for the update. More specifically, if a user updates her virus detection information using, for example, an update provided on a floppy disk, at least all of the new virus detection information is transferred from the floppy disk to the appropriate medium.
Regardless of the update source, the problems of updatable comparison data remain. Specifically, the user, administrator, or other relevant party is still typically responsible for accessing and updating the comparison data, the comparison data can quickly and unpredictably lose its efficacy, and a significant amount of data must be transferred from the source to the storage medium used for the comparison data. Indeed, the amount of data to be transferred may be more problematic where internet resources are the source of the comparison data update since a significant amount of computational resources would be used to complete the update.
Another problem in the detection of viruses is that conditions vary from computer to computer. Thus, a first computer or medium could require a first type of scanning while another computer or medium, even one in the same network as the first, could require a second type of scanning. In these instances, virus scans can be overinclusive in that the scanning for viruses that could not possibly reside at the computer, and can be underinclusive if an exhaustive scan for the types of viruses likely to reside at the computer, based upon the conditions presented at the computer, is not undertaken. To adequately perform a virus scan according to the conditions particular to a computer, a user or other relevant party typically must configure the scan. This can be problematic because of reliance upon party input. Additionally, the conditions pertaining to a particular computer and the requisite type of scanning can change.
With the increasing interconnection and communication between computers, the requirements for maintaining computers residing on a computer network have also increased. Again, maintenance is typically undertaken directly by a person, such as the network administrator, using resources which are locally available to the network administrator. For example, in the treatment of computers on a local area network for viruses, an administrator could commonly configure the computers to access locally available virus scanning resources. This maintenance scheme is problematic in its reliance upon updates, its failure to adapt to changing conditions, and its failure to make adequate use of resources external to the local area network.
Accordingly, there remains a need for virus detection that obviates some of the problems inherent in the updatable comparison data model. Additionally, there remains a need for more effective implementation of internet resources for virus detection and for easier and more effective computer network maintenance, particularly, by way of example, with respect to virus detection and elimination.